Perception
by Aquarius Princess
Summary: Danarius was able to retreat from the fight before Fenris could kill him. When Danarius comes back, the fight leaves the two drained. And all they can do, wounded and tired, is talk. What follows can only be determined by perception. Danarius/Fenris/Hawke


_**"Fenris!"**_

When Fenris pushed the sword further into the neck of the last guard, he could hear the sound of battle slowly leave his mind. As he watched the blood launch in the air, he couldn't help but notice how it reminded him of a gushing fountain. He twisted the sword in, making sure that the doomed guard was completely dead. Fenris put his foot on the chest of the guard and used the pressure to pull his sword out of the bone.

When he did so, Fenris let out a sharp cry. Pain was assaulting his body. He searched for the source of the agony. He turned his head and looked at his arm where the pain appeared to originate. There was a gaping wound on his bicep. If it weren't for the blood, he would have been able to see the white bone. A glimpse of memory told him that he received this injury minutes ago. His body had not yet registered the pain and the wound. Yet, all at once it came to him. The blinding hot pain almost made Fenris drop his sword. But he couldn't. Not when he had a job to do.

He looked up, searching for the man he truly wanted dead. His eyes scanned across the bar. He could see frightened patrons hiding under tables. He could see Hawke and Anders tag teaming each other in a fight against shades. One would go headfirst at the demons while the other fought from a distance. Isabela was circling a lone demon, taking her stabs and she jumped back and forth like a hyper active rabbit. Varania was cowering in a corner, covered in blood from the battle. But Fenris could care less about these things at the moment. He was looking for someone else.

When he didn't see the silver haired mage in his view, Fenris felt his breath hitch. He started to turn around, looking in all directions. Danarius was nowhere to be found. The elf looked to the stairs, wondering if he went that way. But there was a large pile of bodies blocking the way up. He was not in the bar. Frantic, Fenris gripped his sword tighter as he went to Hawke. The pain in his arm was all but gone. Interrupting the mage during a spell, he grabbed Hawke's shoulder and shook it violently. "Did you see where Danarius went?" he asked, his voice loud and anxious.

Hawke shook as she tried to recover from the sudden disruption. "He just slipped out the door," Hawke said as she steadied her staff. She used the staff to point to the blood trail that was leading from the middle of the bar to out the door that led into Lowtown. Fenris's eyes trailed from the larger puddle to the smaller puddles. It was then that he registered what Hawke told him.

"What…" Fenris whispered at first. The only thing that he could hear was the sounds of the battle ending. Fenris then began to shake as he realized what was happening and what Hawke was telling him. The words came together slowly and he began to understand fully. "What?" Fenris shouted as he dropped his sword. He grabbed Hawke's shoulders and pushed her into the wall. "You let him go?" He questioned as he kept his hold on the soft skin. He could not believe that Hawke didn't say anything. That she didn't do anything.

Hawke hissed as her back hit the wall. She looked up at Fenris and glared up at his emerald eyes. "I did not let Danarius go, Fenris. Listen to what I said. It _just_ happened. I'm sorry. I had a sodding demon about the rip me apart. I called you. I thought you would see him." Hawke felt that she did not need him blaming her. She already have enough blame for the both of them.

Instead of snapping back at her, Fenris held his tongue. He remembered that he had heard Hawke before. He remembered that she called his name. She was trying to get his attention. She was not wrong about that. With his silence, he let Hawke go. Fenris bent down and picked up his sword. The battle may be over for his companions, but it was not for him.

"You're not going after him," Hawke said, point blankly, as she grabbed the elf by his left arm, not the one that was wounded. Her palm, which was still active from the magic, caused a burn to go up his markings. Hawke had grabbed him like this in the past, but she never touched him right after she practiced a spell. The lyrium in his skin reacted negatively as the long seconds went by. Hissing in pain, Fenris stopped in his tracks. The pain came and gone, leaving nothing in its wake. Well, nothing but a velvet masculine voice in his mind.

"_Ah, where are you going, my little wolf?"_

"Nowhere," Fenris answered the question in his head. "I'm not going anywhere, ser..." His voice was caught in his throat and it trembled with anxiety and fear. It was low and whispering. Coupled with the shaking, the voice was inaudible. He blinked his eyes and saw the flooring of the Hanged Man turn from wood into creamy marble. Within another blink, they were back to wood.

A frustrated frown took over Hawke's face when she did not understand what was being said. "What? What was that?" Hawke asked as she let go of his arm. She looked him over and watched his proud head bow in a submissive manner. She wrinkled her brow and tried to figure out what was going on. "Fenris?" She questioned when the elf did not answer her.

Within the moment, Fenris straightened up and held his head high. He turned around to face Hawke. There was no trace of passiveness in his stance. Fenris was about to speak when he was interrupted by Hawke's commanding voice. "I don't want you to go after him," she told him. She saw his sudden enraged expression and she said, quickly, "You're in no condition to do so. Maker, look at your arm, Fenris. It looks like it is about to fall off." Fenris took a look at it and found himself agreeing with her. Hawke continued, "Danarius will kill you. Just let me handle it. I'll go straight to Aveline and she'll have her men searching the entire city. I'll go to the Knight Commander if I have to and she'll send templars after that man."

With a quick, fluid motion, she took the sword from Fenris and placed it on the floor. Hawke took Fenris's hands, feeling the cool metal of his gauntlets, "I'll take care of it, Fenris. Don't I always take care of it?" Fenris didn't respond. He stared at Hawke with a subtle tolerance to her words. He let out a heavy sigh before reciprocated the hold. Hawke watched as the metal fingers closed around her hands. He nodded slowly. Showing a rare smile, Hawke sighed before she turned away from Fenris. "Anders! A little help here?"

After Anders finished healing the burn marks on Isabela's skin, he made his way over to Hawke and Fenris. The elf and blonde mage exchanged tense glances before Anders took his wrist. He abruptly pulled Fenris forward and turned the arm to the direction he needed it to. There was no gentleness in his touch. The mage was never sensitive when he had to heal Fenris. Anders closed his eyes in concentration and he cast his spell over the open wound. Fenris turned away from this sight. He hated to watch his skin morph under magic influences. Instead, his attention was directed to the shaking red haired elf that was slowly coming out of her corner.

Varania's movement was unhurried as she made her way to Fenris. Her uncertain steps all but gave away how scared shitless she was of her brother. "Leto, I am so sorry, you have to forgive me," Varania told him. Her deep voice was shaking and weak. "Danarius would have taken me as an apprentice...He promised me…I would have been a magister. You don't understand-"

Hawke quickly jumped to Fenris's defense. "What does he have to understand? That you sold your own brother out to be that man's apprentice and further your own goals? Fenris-" The sound of the elf clearing his throat caused Hawke to hold her tongue for the moment. That temporary surprised Anders. He never known Hawke to let anyone interrupt her when she was talking.

"Just go," was Fenris's command as he looked at Varania. He didn't need this reunion right now. Not when there were bigger things at stake. Their eyes stared into one another. Fenris continued to look, hoping that her eyes would be the portals he needed to see his past. But the memory was gone and all Fenris could see in Varania's eyes was the weary look of a tiresome life. There was nothing for him to see. There was no visions of a happy life with a family. There was no visions of an older brother looking out for and playing with his younger sister.

Varania did not look away from her brother. Her mouth wavered in nervousness before she said, "Please, Leto, if you would just-just let me talk to you in private. I can explain everything. Don't send me away-" She finally looked away, losing the fragile courage that she once had when she first faced Fenris. He was as stubborn now as he was back then.

"Sweet cheeks," Isabela said, making herself known to the conversation. "He said go. I imagine if it weren't for the fact that his magic fisting arm was broken that he would have killed you by now. Now go on. Shoo." She ushered Varania out by grabbing the elf from behind and forcing her out. Fenris watched this scene go on, feeling a tingle of regret in his stomach. He tried to figure out why he felt this way. Varania lured him here. This was her doing. Danarius knew where he was because of her. Fenris will have to run again because of her.

_No, no, I can't run again...I have a life here...I don't want to run...I'm so tired of running..._

Hawke looked away from Varania and looked at Anders, "After you heal him, I want you to take him home." This order caused a look of indignation and rejection at the idea both for Fenris and Anders. Before they could speak, Hawke held up her hand and said, quickly, "I don't care if you have to drag him, kicking and screaming. I want him to stay out of this."

"I'm right here, you know! You don't have to talk about me!" Fenris finally shouted. He snatched his arm out of Anders's hold, not caring that it was halfway healed. He gestured angrily, ignoring the pain. "Danarius is out there! He's out there and probably wounded." He bent down and picked up his sword, "If I leave right now, I can track him before he leaves Kirkwall." He started to ramble on in a hysterical manner, "He doesn't deal with pain well so he should be sluggish. And I know this town inside and out. I should be able to find him within the hour. I-"

"Fenris! Calm down, you aren't thinking rationally," Anders said. His voice mimicked Hawke's commanding tone. "Please, let me finish your arm," he said as he went to grab him again.

"Touch me again and I'll kill you," Fenris threatened as he pulled his arm away. Looking at the faces that were staring at him, he began to feel subconscious. He took a look at his arm. Despite the fact that it was half way healed, the arm did not feel any better. Every time he moved it, he felt a shot of pain go throughout each nerve in his body. The movement was slow and shaky. He couldn't face him.

He would never let that man see him shake.

* * *

This story is based off a roleplay I've done with a friend of mine. He's an absolute genius with Danarius. ^^ Thank you for reading and please review.


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